Resting heart rate variability did not influence self-reported and eyeblink responses during voluntary cognitive reappraisal of negative emotions in 122 healthy participants.
Observational (n=122)
Does resting heart rate variability influence subjective and startle responses during voluntary cognitive reappraisal of negative emotions in healthy participants?
Resting heart rate variability does not appear to influence self-reported or physiological startle responses during cognitive reappraisal of negative emotions.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been widely studied in laboratory settings due to its clinical implications, primarily as a potential biomarker of emotion regulation (ER). Studies have reported that individuals with higher resting HRV show more distinct startle reflexes to negative stimuli as compared to those with lower HRV. These responses have been associated with better defense system function when managing the context demands. There is, however, a lack of empirical evidence on the association between resting HRV and eyeblinks during laboratory tasks using instructed ER. This study explored the influence of tonic HRV on voluntary cognitive reappraisal through subjective and startle responses measured during an independent ER task. In total, 122 healthy participants completed a task consisting of attempts to upregulate, downregulate, or react naturally to emotions prompted by unpleasant pictures. Tonic HRV was measured for 5 minutes before the experiment began. Current results did not support the idea that self-reported and eyeblink responses were influenced by resting HRV. These findings suggest that, irrespective of resting HRV, individuals may benefit from strategies such as reappraisal that are useful for managing negative emotions. Experimental studies should further explore the role of individual differences when using ER strategies during laboratory tasks.
Jaén et al. (Thu,) conducted a observational in Emotion regulation (n=122). Resting heart rate variability (tonic HRV) was evaluated on Self-reported and eyeblink responses during an independent emotion regulation task. Resting heart rate variability did not influence self-reported and eyeblink responses during voluntary cognitive reappraisal of negative emotions in 122 healthy participants.